Effect of Turbulence on Sedimentation

The basic theory of turbulent flow has been applied successfully to explain the observed vertical distribution of suspended matter in streams in which the suspended load is in equilibrium with the bed material. This paper presents the results of studies made in an effort to extend the theory to explain the concentration changes in a stream or settling basin under nonequilibrium conditions. The general differential equation expressing the concentration changes during turbulent sedimentation in an infinitely wide stream is derived, and the complete solution for a certain simplified case is presented. Evidence of the validity of this solution is provided by the results of experiments which are described herein.